Today marked our first RE and Curriculum Day of the academic year. Pupils enjoyed a variety of sessions to complement their usual academic programme of study.
Year 7
Pupils had a fantastic first RE Day looking at the Christian faith. They engaged well in a variety of activities including looking at the Story of the Good Samaritan, The Harvest Festival and the work of Christian Aid. They compared teachings from the Bible to modern day life, agreeing that we should treat people in a way that we wish to be treated ourselves and that kindness helps to make the world a better place. There were excellent drawings of the Good Samaritan story and some of our finished story boards look amazing. In line with the study of The Harvest Festival, pupils bought in donations for the food bank and we are incredibly proud to be able to pass that generosity on to the community.
Year 8
Pupils learned about Hinduism. They explored the Creation, the story of Ganesh and made Ganesh elephants from recycled milk bottles. They also learned about Hinduism around the world, with particular focus on life in India. They designed colourful Rangoli patterns, which Hindus believe bring good luck.
Year 9
Pupils covered Philosophy and Ethics, looking at Crime and Punishment. They took part in one hour sessions on the following subjects: Who commits crime and why? Crime and Religion, Capital Punishment, Forgiveness and Redemption and Rules and Laws. There were lots of really interesting debates in each of the workshops. The pupils showed a growing maturity in voicing individual opinions and debating challenging topics successfully. They also created a year group spectrum showing their thoughts about the death penalty, which was fascinating to explore.
Year 10
Pupils looked at war and conflict during their ethics day. They explored the reasons why wars occur, the concept of a Just War and religious attitudes to war. Pupils learnt more about Christian and Muslim beliefs relating to war and were encouraged to discuss and debate these themes and come to their own conclusions.
Year 11
Pupils had a curriculum day today, which consisted of the year group rotating round English, Maths and Science lessons. The sessions included going through past papers, to help identify areas that needed improvement, it also included looking at different exam techniques, such as ways to answer questions, use of vocabulary and solving equations. The sessions also focused on revision hints and different ways to revise, depending on each subject.
